Anatomy of the Digestive System
A basic introduction
A gastrectomy is typically performed for removal of a malignant gastric tumor. A malignant tumor is made of cells that divide uncontrollably and can invade nearby tissues and potentially spread to other tissues within the body through the lymphatic system or blood stream. The most common type of malignant tumor that occurs in the stomach is gastric adenocarcinoma, which is a cancer that starts in the ducts of the stomach.
If gastric cancer has spread to distant tissues (called metastases), surgery is not typically indicated.
The stomach is an organ that is attached to the esophagus and the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum.
The stomach's function is to partially digest food. Food travels down the esophagus and though the esophageal sphincter into the stomach. It is then broken down by a churning action performed by the muscles of the stomach. Various types of stomach cells secrete acids and enzymes that aid in the breakdown of food. The passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine is regulated by the pyloric sphincter.
The arterial blood supply to the stomach comes from the celiac trunk and its branches. The celiac trunk is a branch off of our bodies largest artery called the aorta
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrates. The spleen plays important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood, which can be valuable in case of hemorrhagic shock, and also recycles iron.
The omentum is a large apron-like fold of fatty tissue surrounding the abdominal organs. The omentum contains many lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are filled with white blood cells that help fight infections in your body.
Lymph Nodes are many small, bean-shaped organs located throughout the lymphatic system. The lymph nodes are important in the function of the immune response and also store special cells that can trap cancer cells or bacteria that are traveling through the body through the lymph.